CRUSADERS determined to save the children's inpatient, maternity and neonatal services at Macclesfield Hospital have formed a Heath Alliance.

The 'all-party' organisation has been set up to fight for essential health care services in Macclesfield Hospital.

Called 'The East Cheshire Health Care Alliance', it hopes to bring together all the various groups and individuals who are working to save the services, and has launched an appeal for help from organised groups; churches; charities; employers; parish councils; residents associations, and trade unions.

Acting co-ordinator, Coun Brendan Murphy, said: "The alliance will be a loosely formed organisation because we want individuals and groups to continue running their own campaigns.

"But there will be occasions when some co-ordination will make our efforts more effective. And sometimes we will need the strength of a united force to press our case.

"At the moment, we have only one aim - to support and retain the children's ward and mother and baby unit in Macclesfield - the so-called Making it Better project.

"But in the longer term, this project has serious and ominous implications for all locally-based health services."

Making It Better is the formal public consultation on the future of healthcare for children, young people, parents and babies in Greater Manchester, East Cheshire, High Peak and Rossendale.

Coun Murphy added: "The consultation ends on Friday, May 12. But after that, there will still be several more rounds to fight before we can say our services are safe.

"Hundreds of individuals have been very active and thousands have signed the petition and the response forms.